A Question of Brothers
by iloveromance
Summary: A question posed at Cafe Nervosa sends Frasier searching the streets for the answer. But it's Niles who feels remorse for the way he'd treated his brother when it was time to hear the answer. And so Niles leaves for the Elliott Bay Towers in the middle of the night, determined to make amends. (Episode: "Ask Me No Questions").


_**A/N: Although I love the episode "Ask Me No Questions", I always get annoyed at Niles in the end when Frasier comes over to give him the answer. I always thought Niles should have shown Frasier more respect after what Frasier did for him.**_

Niles looked his estranged wife in the eyes. "Maris, I think you need to leave."

Clearly appalled by his order, her jaw dropped. "What?"

"You heard me! Leave! _Now_! Um… _please_!"

Her eyes narrowed, the gaze becoming one he was all too familiar with. "How dare you!" She spat.

Niles held up his hand, no longer afraid of her threats.

"Maris, _now_! I'm asking you as politely as possible! This was a mistake and we both know it!"

She scoffed and stormed into the lavish master bathroom, emerging minutes later in the clothes that she'd arrived in. She was dressed as though she was heading for a dinner party despite the incredibly late hour. It was nearly 3am but knowing Maris, Niles wouldn't have been surprised if she was going to a dinner party. She brushed past him and ran down the stairs, pausing just long enough to glare at him.

"You'll be sorry for this, Niles."

He nodded, determined not to be bought down by her attempts to manipulate him. Instead he swallowed hard and looked her in the eyes. "Goodbye, Maris."

"Damn you, Niles Crane." Were the last words she spoke before she slammed the door in his face.

When he was gone she cursed loudly, the obscene word resonating off of the living room walls. He was certain that the next-door neighbors must have heard him but he really didn't care. And then he cursed again for good measure. Now wide awake, he poured a glass of sherry and sat down on the fainting couch. Damn, what in the hell was he thinking, giving into Maris' charms?

When she'd offered him a chance at rekindling the flame of their estranged relationship, he'd declined at first, but when she kissed him the way she used to kiss him all those years ago, he found that he couldn't resist. Immediately he'd forgotten about how she'd betrayed and belittled him and had given himself to her completely.

Now he was filled with remorse. He gulped down his sherry and then went to make another. But now he was no longer thinking of Maris, but of Frasier.

When Maris had seduced him with her charms and her kisses, he'd completely forgotten about the question he'd asked Frasier earlier at Café Nervosa;

"Do you think that Maris and I are meant to be together?"

He had to admit that when Frasier arrived at his home at just after midnight, he was surprised. But he wasn't prepared for Niles' answer to the question that he'd completely forgotten about;

"No.." Frasier had said. "No, I don't think that you and Maris are meant to be together. Marriage should be built on an abundance of friendship, trust and mutual respect and I fear that without those things, you'll never have true happiness with Maris."

After Niles had been given time to process it, his brother's answer had, in fact, hurt him. But after he'd given into Maris' demands yet again (in his own home with those damn bells and that annoying whistle!), he knew that Frasier was right. He and Maris didn't belong together. He should have realized that long ago. But as usual, hope consumed him.

 _Frasier…_

His brother's image and the words that he'd yelled when he'd come over only a short time ago, only to discover that Niles was with Maris, resonated loudly in his head. "How could you do something like this without waiting for my opinion?"

But it wasn't the words that haunted him now. It was the image of hurt on Frasier's face. Frasier really and truly had taken Niles' question to heart. In asking what he thought was a simple yes or no question, Frasier had done what he'd always done so well; he'd considered every aspect and weighed every option. No wonder Frasier had smelled of the streets.

Niles couldn't imagine how much Frasier must have lingered over the question, wanting to give nothing less than the most honest answer possible, leaving nothing to chance.

As strange as it seemed, hearing a completely honest well-thought out answer from his brother was the greatest gift that Niles could have received. And how had Niles repaid Frasier? By allowing his shrew of a wife to return to him for a romantic tryst.

Dear God, what was he thinking? Didn't he value Frasier's opinion at all? If the situation were reversed wouldn't Niles have extended the same courtesy and given Frasier the most honest answer possible?

Of course he would have.

Once again the dejected image of his brother flashed in his mind, and less than twenty minutes later, Niles was on his way to the Elliott Bay Towers.

In the hallway of the nineteenth floor, Niles stood in front of Frasier's door; Condo 1901, as his heart beat rapidly. His trembling hand reached for the doorbell but he quickly withdrew it. The chances were good; very good-that Frasier was still hurt by what Niles had done. And perhaps Frasier would even be angry; possibly _very_ angry.

But what kind of man would Niles be if he didn't take responsibility for what he'd done and the way he'd hurt his father?

Without hesitation, Niles rang the doorbell and then knocked loudly. Through the door he could hear Eddie's muffled barking, followed by the sound of a turning lock. The door opened, revealing his brother who looked as tired if not more so than Niles had felt earlier. And Frasier did not look happy. But to his credit, he smelled fresh and clean, no doubt the result of his state-of-the-art shower.

"Niles, what in the hell are you doing here? Don't you know what time it is?"

"Yes, it's nearly-." Niles looked at his watch, perturbed when he noticed a hairline scratch on the crystal. He made a mental note to call the jewelry store first thing in the morning to get it repaired as soon as possible.

"NILES!"

Startled out of his thoughts, Niles turned his attention to his brother, who no longer wore an expression of hurt, but of anger; almost rage. And strangely, Niles began to aback away, his hands high over his head in mock surrender. "I'm sorry for dropping by so late but I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About earlier. Maris in particular."

"What about Maris? Isn't she going to be angry that you left her at your home alone?"

Niles almost laughed. "Maris? _Alon_ e in my _apartment_? Are you _kidding_ me? No. I threw her out! Surely you can't be that crazy to suggest-"

"I don't know Niles, you tell me!" Frasier shot back. "What kind of man walks the streets searching for an answer to his little brother's question; an answer that _both_ of them already know the answer to?"

"You're right. And that's why I came over. To apologize."

Frasier straightened. "Oh… Well then…"

"Frasier I'm sorry. I should never have… Well, she's gone now. There's no telling what sort of hell she'll put me through after I threw her out, but I'll deal with it."

"Niles…"

"This isn't about her, Frasier. It's about us. I'm sorry. You're right. I should have waited for your answer and like I said before, I'm touched that you put this much thought into it."

"But it hurt you, didn't it? My conclusion?"

Niles nodded. "It did at first, but once I had time to process it, I knew that you'd been right all along. And you're right now. I didn't need to ask a question that I already knew the answer to. I'm sorry I put you though that, but it means the world to me that you went to so much trouble."

"Why wouldn't I, Niles? I love you."

Niles barely had time to react to his brother's unexpected sentiment when he was pulled into a hug. And he realized that he didn't need Maris. He'd never need her again. But he needed his brother, always.

The sentiment came easy this time and without hesitation. "I love you too, Frasier."

 _THE END_


End file.
